Article forming apparatus



March 7,1944. E. L. MALHIOT ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 19424 Sheets-Sheet 1 HTTOENE Y March 7, 1944.

5 1.. MALHIOT ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet2 /N VE' N TOE E L. MALH/OT 5 J/rM/V HTTOENEY March 7, 1944. MALHIOTARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 /NVEN7'O/EE L. MHLHIOT BY 6. 41 4 AM7 HTTOE/VB Patented Mar. 7, I944 UNITED.STATES PATENT GFFICE" I .m'rrcm romfi arrmrus Eugene L. Malhiot,Maywood, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company. Incorporated, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicatlomMay 1, 1942, SerialNo. 441,409

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an article formin apparatus and moreparticularly to an apparatus for receiving a series of interconnectedarticles from a machine which interconnects-them continuously andcutting the interconnecting means to provide a selected length ofinterconnected articles.

In the manufacture of some types of telephone apparatus, it is thepractice to connect a number of terminals of pieces of apparatus inmultiple, that is, similar terminals, on adjacent switches. may all bewired together throughout a line of said switches. In the telephoneequipment known as "step by step automatic exchange equipment, banks ofswitching devices are mounted adjacent one to another and the switchesare each provided with a series of selectable contacts which, in theoperation of the switch, may be connected to other pieces of apparatusin the telephone exchange. The practice heretofore has been to mount allof these switches on their framework and then to wire the terminal endsof the switch connectors to other apparatus or in multiple, where theswitches are designed for such use. This operation was performed bystripping the insulation from wires at predetermined spaced intervalsand manually soldering the stripped portion of the wire to the terminalsof the switches. It has been proposed to form these connections in asuitable manner prior to assembling the contacts in their respectivebanks and, in effecting such method, the contacts mounted on insulatorsare fed to a machine which has a constant supply of strands of wire fedto it and the machine connects the continuous lengths of wires to theterminals of the contacts. These continuous lengths of wires with theterminals connected to them must then be cut to provide a group ofinterconnected switch assemblies.

vide a simple and eflicient, automatic apparatus for forming articlesfrom a continuous length of material.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus isprovided for use in connection wth a machine for continuouslyattachmotor driven feeding device, which is controlled by the string ofinterconnected articles being fed 3 It is an object of the presentinvention to proto it by the article attaching means and whichautomatically feeds the interconnected articles on to a tiltable table.The apparatus is sewnnected that the feeding means for theinterconnected articles is started in operation upon the receipt, by theapparatus, of a predetermined length of the strands or wires having thearticles connected to them and the operation of thefeeding portion ofthe apparatus is interrupted when the feeding portion of the apparatustends to draw the strands from the associated machine faster than themachine can supply them. The tiltable table is automatically tilted andreturned to its normal position under control of the length ofinterconnected articles being fed, reaching a predetermined length, dueto the engagement, by the forward end of a group of interconnectedarticles, with a switchcontrolling mechanism. The switch operable undercontrol of the controlling mechanism initiates the tilting operation byfirst energizing a cut-oil knife which cuts a predetermined length ofarticles from the supply thereof and, when the cut-off mechanismoperates to completely sever the length of interconnected articles fromthe supply, it closes a switch which controls the tilting table so thatthe cut-ofi length of interconnected articles will be tilted out onto areceiving table. The tilting table, upon reaching its tilted position,closes a switch, which restores the control circuits to normal positionand initiates the return of the tilting table to normal position.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to thefollowing detailed description when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view on arelatively small scale of apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on the same scale as Fig. 1, showing thetpparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of a short length of the string of interconnectedarticles which are fed to the apparatus and sheared to predeterminedlengths therein:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, parts beingbroken away to more clearly illustrate the various features of theinvention;

Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 inthe direction of the :arrows' showing one of the control devicesforcontrolling the feeding of the interconnected articles to the cut-oi!device and tilting table:

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows showing a second one of thecon-.

trol devices for controlling the feeding of the interconnected articlesto the cut-off mechanism and tiltable table;

Figs. '1, 3, 9 and 10 are transverse vertical sectional views on arelatively large scale, taken along the lines 1-1, 3-3, 3-3 and |3-|3 ofFig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing the feed roll drivemechanism. the knife which cuts the wires, the table tilting mechanism,and the switch controlled by the fed material; and

Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram showing the various switches which controloperation of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designatethe same parts throughout the several views, particular reference beinghad at this time to Fig. l, a processing machine is shown, designatedgenerally by the numeral 23, and represented only diagrammatically, forfeeding continuous lengths of wire having terminal assemblies attachedto them to the apparatus comprising the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention. Thestrands of wire with the terminal assembliesattached to them are illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein wires 2|2| are shownattached to terminals 22-22. The terminals 22 are interconnected withthe wires by solderless connections, a prong or prongs (not shown) beingformed on each terminal and being forced through the insulation on thewires to engage the conductor covered by the insulation. In otherapparatus (not shown herein and not pertinent to the present invention),the terminals 22-22 are suitably fixed to insulate 23-23 and two of theinsulators 23 are pl one on each side of a spacing insulator 23. emachine 23 receives the insulators 23 wi the terminals 22 attached tothem and with the spacing insulator 23 between them, and fixes the wires2| to the terminals at predeterniined spaced points along the wires, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. The wires are fed in a continuous length to themachine 23 by mechanism (not shown) and the machine 23 delivers thelengths of conductor with the terminal assemblies designated generallyby the numeral 23 and comprising the hereinbefore described terminals 22and insulators 23 and 23 to a machine embodying the present invention.

The machine of the present invention comprises a receiving portion,designated generally by the numeral 33, a feeding portion, designatedgenerally by the numeral 3|, a cut-off mechanism, designated generallyby the numeral 32, and a table section, designated generally by thenumeral 33. The receiving portion of the apparatus comprises, as mostclearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, a receiving comp ment 33,comprised of side walls 33 and 33 ving supporting angle members 31, 33,33nd 33 at their front and rear ends for suitably supporting them. Inaddition, the receiving compartment 33 has front and rear walls 3| and32 which are interposed between the side walls 33 and 33 and serve tospace them one from the other and also serve to guide the lengths ofwires 2| with the terminal assemblies 23 fixed to them in their passagethrough the receiving compartment. Portions of the side walls 33 and 33are flared, as shown at 33 and 33 (Fig. 3) for guiding the materialasitisfedfromthemachine23 intothe Positioned adjacent the bottom of thecompartment :4 is a plate 4! fixed to a pivot bracket 33, which is, inturn, attached to a shaft 31 extending between and iournaled in theangle members 31 and 33.

Mounted on the front face of the side wall 33 (Pig. 4) is a Microswitch3|, having an actuating plunger 32 extending in the path of an actuatinglever 33, which is, in turn, fixed to the shaft 31. The pivot bracket 33has a lever 33 fixed to it for receiving a threaded pin 33, on which athumb nut 33 is threaded. The pin 33 is attached to a spring 31 andnormally tends to rock the pivot bracket 33 in a counter-clockwisedirection'to hold the actuating lever 33 out of engagement with theplunger 32. However, when a series of interconnected terminal members23, connected by the wires 2|, are fed into the receiving compartment33, a loop will be formed in the interconnected string of terminalassemblies and will bear against the plate 33, thereby to rock the shaft31' clockwise (Fig. 4) against the action of the spring 31. As the shaft31 rocks clockwise, it will carry the actuating lever 33 with it anddepress the switch actuating plunger 32. The switch 3| initiates a cycleof operation oi a motor 33 and, when the switch 3| is closed upondepression of the plate 33, current will be supplied to the motor 33 todrive it.

A second switch 33 is also mounted on the face of the side wall 33 andcarries its switch actuating plunger 3| in the path of a lever 32. Thelever 32 is rotatable about a stud shaft 33 and is balanced by a spring33 so that the weight of lever 32, a lever 33, to which lever 32 isconnected, and a control arm 33, carried by the lever 33, will justmaintain the plunger 3| in position to hold the switch 33 closed withoutexerting undue pressure on the plunger 3|. This arrangement is providedso that the string of interconnected articles, as indicated by the dotand dash lines 33, when drawn upwardly, will, upon applying a lightpressure to the control arm 33, effect the opening of the switch 33. Theswitch 33, together with the switch 3|, serves to control the motorcircuit for feeding the arti-. cles and, when the switch 33 is operatedmomentarily, the driving motors actuating circuit will be interruptedand will not be closed un- 30 til the switch 3| is again actuated, allas will be described more in detail in connection with the descriptionof the operation of the apparatus and its associated control circuit.

The motor 33 is interconnected, by means of a suitable gear reducer 31,to drive a chain 33 (Figs. 1 and 7), which drives a sprocket wheel 33mounted upon a shaft 13. The shaft 13 has fixed thereto, in addition tothe sprocket 33, a gear 1| and a drive roller 12 (Figs. 1, 4 and '1)made of relatively soft rubber or other suitably resilient material. Theshaft 13 is mounted in a framework 13 extending upwardly from a channelmember 13, which extends the length of a main base plate 13, underneathwhich the motor 33 and gear reducer 31 are mounted, the main base member13 being supported on suitable standards 13-13 (Fig. 1). Gear 1| mesheswith and drives a gear 33, which is rotatable on a stud shaft 3|. Thegear 33 has fixed to it a sprocket 32 for driving a chain 33, whichextends upwardly and around a sprocket 33 liked to a shaft 33. The shaft33 is iournalled in a U-shaped rocker assembly 33 and carries a feedroller 31, which cooperates with the drive roller receiving portion 33of the present apparatus. 13 12, both of the rollers being driven. Therocker stud shaft I9 so that the rocker assembly may be rocked about theshafts and I0 to facilitate loading the string of interconnectedarticles into the feeding mechanism for feeding thereby.

Extending between side walls of the framework 10 is a guide member 00,which serves to guide articles to the rollers I2 and 01. At the rightside of the rollers I2 and 01 (Fig. 4), there is provided a guiding tube9| for guiding the string of interconnected articles-from the rollers tothe cut-off mechanism 02. The cut-oif mechanism 02, as most clearlyshown in Figs. 4 and 8, comprises a movable knife blade 02 and a fixedblade 00. The movable knife blade 92 is pivotally mounted on a studshaft 00, which is mounted in a bracket 05 connected to the rear offramework I0. The left end (Fig. 8) of the movable knife blade 02 isinterconnected, by means of a link 00, to the movable member 0'! of asolenoid 00, which is also mounted on the framework 10. the solenoid 00is energized, the movable member 01 will be moved upwardly (Fig. 8) andwill cause the movable knife blade, in cooperation with the fixed blade00, to cut a length of interconnected articles from the string thereofbeing fed to the apparatus by the rollers I2 and 01. Mounted adjacentthe movable knife blade 02, on the framework I0, is a switch 00 adaptedto be actuated by a switch actuating member I00 fixed on the movableknife blade 02, after the knife blade has sheared a section of connectedarticles from the string thereof being fed to the apparatus.

As the string of interconnected articles, as indicated by the dottedline 00, is fed in the direction of the arrows (Figs. 1 and 4) by therollers 12 and 01, the string of interconnected articles will pass thecuteofl mechanism 02 and will be directed to the table section 00, whichis most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 4, 9 and 10. The table section ofthe apparatus comprises an end member I00 fixed to the channel member 10and extending upwardly from the main base member 10. Extending betweenthe and member I05 and the framework 10 are a pair of table side wallsI00 and I01, which are supported by the framework "I0 and end memberI00. 00- operating with the side walls I00 and Ill, to form a channelfor receiving a series or string of interconnected members, is atiltable table I00. The table I00 is provided with hinge brackets I00When and H0 (Fig. 9) that are pivoted on the end member I05 and a bladesupporting plate II I, respectively, to hinge the tiltable table formovement from the position shown in Fig. 9 under control of a cylinderII2. When a fluid under pressure is admitted to the upper end of thecylinder II2, a piston IIO will be moved'downwardly into the cylinderand will tilt the tiltable table I 00 from the position shown to aposition where anything supported by the table will be slid from thetable on to an apron I I0, the cylinder II2 being pivotally mounted atH0. Connected to the underside of the tiltable table I00 is a switchcontrolling bracket IIO, which, when the table is tilted, will engagethe plunger III of switch H8. The apron I I4 is inclined so that astring of articles which have been disconnected from the supply thereofwill slide oil. of the apron onto the main base member 15.

Adiustably mounted on the side walls I 00 and I0I is a knife controllingswitch mechanism comprised of bridge. member III, which extends acrossthe top of the two side walls I00 and I01,

and a pair of brackets I20 and I2I fixed to the opposite sides of thebridge member. The brackets I20 and I2I areequip d with set screws I22and I20, respectively, which may be engaged with the side walls I00 andI" to position the assembly at any desired place along the length of theside walls. Pivoted in the brackets I20 and |2I is a shaft I24, whichcarries a lever I20 for clos ing a switch I20. The shaft I20 has setinto it a vane I21, which may be actuated by the extending end of astring of interconnected articles and when so actuated, will rock theshaft I20 to close the switch I20. As most clearly shown in Fig. 1,switch I20 is interconnected with other parts of the control circuit bya flexible cable I20, which extends over a guide I20 and roller I to atake-up drum IOI so that the cable will remain taut when the vane I21 isplaced anywhere along the table I00.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the followingbrief description of the circuit connections between the variousswitches and other portions of the electrical apparatus to be describedin connection with the mode of operation of the apparatus.

The apparatus is supplied with power from a current source I00 (Fig.11), upon energization of a relay I0l. Suitably located on the frame ofthe apparatus are a start switch I02 and a stop switch I00. The stopswitch I00 is normally closed and the start switch I02 is normallyopened. Upon closure of the start switch I02, the apparatus will beconditioned for operation and as the string of connected articles, asindicated by the dot and dash lines 00, is fed from the processingmachine 20, a loop of interconnected articles will be formed in thereceiving compartment '00 and will extend downwardly until the loopcontacts the plate 00, thereby to close switch 5| momentarily. It shouldbe noted at this time that the motor 50 for driving the apparatusdisclosed herein is arranged to feed the string of interconnectedarticles at a slightly faster rate of speed than they will be fedthrough and out of the processing machine 20 so that when the switch Siis closed momentarily, it will initiate operation of the motor 00 andthe motor 00 will continue to run until it has taken up the slack in thestring of interconnected articles and brought them into engagement withthe control arm 00.

Again referring to Fig. 11, closure of the switch 5| will extend thecircuit through start switch I02 and stop switch I00 to normally closedswitch 00 operable under control of control arm 05. Since switch 00 isat this time closed, the circuit will extend through it to one side ofthe winding of the relay I3I, the other side of which is connected tothe opposite line extending to the current source I00. Thus. relay "Iwill be momentarily energized upon the momentary closure of switch 5|.Relay IOI is provided with three contact closing armatures I00, I00 andI00. The armature I04 is connected to a point between the switch 0i andstop switch I00 so that, upon energization of the relay "I, it will lockenergized through armature I00 and switch 00 to continue to supplyoperating current to the motor 00 through armatures I00 and I00 untilswitch 00 is opened. The lines leading from the armatures I00 and I00 tothe motor are connected to the table tilting and knife operatingportions of the circuit so that all the time that current is beingsupplied to the motor 00, this portion of the circult will have powerconnected to it.

the vane Ill and switch Ill, have been set in the proper position todetermine the length of interconnected articles to be severed from thestringthereoffedfromthemachine Ilandthe starting switch It! of theapparatus has been closed, the motor ll, through the rollers 12 and 81,will feed the string of interconnected articles onto the tiltable tableIll until the ri ht end (Pigs. l, 2 and 4) of the string ofinterconnected articles engages the vane I21, thereby to shift theswitch I" from the position shownin Fig. 11 to open its normally closedcontact and close its normally open contact. In the condition shown inFig. 11. a relay Ill, having contact closing armatures III, I, I and I,is held energized in the circuit from armatide III, through normallyclosed contact of switch I", normally closed switch II, the winding ofthe relay, and back to armature I". When switch I" shifts from theposition shown, relay I will be held energized over the circuit from thearmature III, through its holding armature Ill, and switch 00. Also,when switch I! shifts from the pomtion shown due to the actuation ofvane I21, current, through armature I35, will be supplied through switchIlt, normally open contact and armature. to the solenoid ll, thereby toactuate .the movable knife blade '2. As the knife blade I! complete; itscutting operation, the switch actuating member I" thereon will openswitch I. to break the holding path to the relay Ill. As the relay Illis de-energized, its normally closed contact will engage armature I42and current will be supplied through closed armature Ill, operatedswitch I It, armature I42, to a solenoid I connected to a suitable valvesystem (not shown) for furnishing fluid under pressure to the upper endof the cylinder III. The cylinder H2 will thus draw the piston Ilidownwardly to cause the table III to tilt, thereby discharging thecutoff length ,of intercon nected articles from the table onto the apronIII. As soon as the table III! has tilted all the way down, it will,through its switch controlling bracket II, close switch I". Switch IIIwill remain closed for a very short interval and, since the cutofllength of string of interconnected arti cles has been discharged fromthe table I", switch I! will return to normal and re-energize relay IIIthrough normally closed contacts of switches III and II. As soon asrelay I" is reenergized, a circuit will be completed from. closedarmature I38, through armature Ill, closed switch I", to a solenoid Ifor supplying fluid under pressure to-the lower end of the cylinder Ill,thereby to return the tilting table to its normal position, thusrestoring the apparatus to normal. As soon as a new length ofinterconnected articles has been fed out on to the tilting table I", theswitch I" will again be closed and re-initiate the cutting operation andtable tilting operation to automatically feed predetermined lengths ofinterconnected articles out onto the main base member II as fast as theprocessing machine completes its operations.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for receiving a continuous length of interconnectedarticles fed thereto at a predetermined constant rate of speed andcutting it to predetermined lengths comprising means for feeding thecontinuous length, control means operable by said continuous length forcontrolling said feeding means, a table for receiving said continuouslength from the feeding means, means intermediate the table and feedingmeans for severing a length of said interconnected articles from saidcontinuous length, and means for tilting-the table to discharge saidsevered length therefrom, said control means including a switch operableby the length of interconnected articles when a surplus length ofinterconnected articles has been fed to the apparatus to interruptoperation of the feeding means, and a switch operable by the length ofinterconnected articles when the amount of material fed to the feedingmeans has been decreased by the feeding means taking up the materialfaster than it is supplied to the feeding means to initiate operation ofthe feeding means.

2. An apparatus for forming assemblies of wired together articlescomprising means for receiving continuous lengths'of wires havingarticles attached at intervals therealong and means for cuttingpredetermined lengths from said continuous lengths comprising a tablefor receiving said predetermined length, a switch ad- Justablypositioned with respect to said table and engageable by the end of alength of said wires fed onto the table and means controlled by saidswitch for cutting said wires, means controlled by said cutting meansfor tilting said table to discharge the predetermined lengths of wiresfrom the table, and means controlled by said tilting means for restoringsaid table to untilted position.

3, An apparatus for receiving a continuous length of wired assembliesand cutting it to predetermined lengths comprising feeding means, atable for receiving said continuous length from the feeding means, aswitch positioned for actuation by said length on the table, a cut-offmechanism controlled by said switch for cutting the length on the tablefrom the continuous length, and means controlled by said cut-offmechanism for tilting said table to discharge the cut-oi! length fromthe table and automatically restore the table to untilted position.

4. The combination with a processing machine for delivering a length ofmaterial of a cut-oil mechanism including feed means driven to feed saidlength of material at a speed faster than it is received from theprocessing machine, a switch operable under control of the material forinitiating operation of the feeding means, means for maintaining saidfeeding means in operation. a second switch operable by said materialfor interrupting operation of said feeding means, and means for cuttingsaid material to predetermined lengths maintained operable by said meansfor maintaining the feeding mechanism operable.

5. In a cut to length apparatus, means for feeding a continuous lengthof material to said apparatus, a switch actuatable by said length ofmaterial, a table for receiving said length of material, means fortilting said table to discharge a length of said material therefrom, acut-off mechanism operable under control of said switch for cutting thelength of material from said continuous length and for controlling thetilting means, and means operable by the table when it is tilted forrestoring the table to untilted posi- 6. In an apparatus for cuttingpredetermined lengths of material from a continuous length thereofcomprising feeding means for feeding said continuous length of material,a tiltahle table for receiving a predetermined length of said material,a cut-oil mechanism operable upon the receipt by the table of apredetermined length of said material to out said predetermined lengthfrom the continuous length, means operable when said cut-oil mechanismcompletes its cutting-oi! operation to tilt said table, and meanscontrolled by thetable for restoring the table to untilted position.

7. In a cut-oil mechanism for cutting predeter table, and a switchcontrolled by the table for initiating restoration of the table tountilted P sition.

8. In a cut-oil mechanism for cutting predetermined lengths of materialfrom a continuous length thereof, a table for receiving a predeterminedlength of material, cooperating knife blades for cutting saidpredetermined length of material from a continuous length thereof, meansfor tilting said table to discharge said predetermined length ofmaterial therefrom, and a control circuit for the knife blades and tabletiltin mechanism comprising a switch actuated upon receipt by the tableof a predetermined length of material for initiating operation of saidknife blades, a switch controlled by one of said knife blades forinitiating the tilting of the table, and a switch controlled by thetable for initiating restoration of the table to untilted position.

' EUGENE L. MALI-HOT.

